Alyssa Sheinmel's psychological thriller and adult debut, Such Sheltered Lives, it out now. In this episode, I spoke with Alyssa about what it's been like to publish in the adult category alongside her ongoing work in her teen lit roots, how she gets it done, and hey, what's going on in YA right now anyway?

Such Sheltered Lives - Out from Atria 1/20/26

Alyssa's website

Alyssa @ IG

Learn more about me, my books, and my other projects at:

www.sarazarr.com

The Writers Circle

Thanks to Dave Connis for the theme music!

The Writers Circle

Thanks to Dave Connis for the theme music!

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Learn more about me, my books, and my other projects at:

www.sarazarr.com

In which we don't write a novel in a month, and look to the seasons to inspire our writing focus.

Special thanks to Joni Sensel. Get Wildly Inspired! The Writers Circle

Thanks to Dave Connis for the theme music!

Learn more about me, my books, and my other projects at:

www.sarazarr.com

Many thanks to my guest Jasminne Paulino for sharing the story of how her debut novel, The Extraordinary Orbit of Alex Ramirez, came to be, how the pandemic led her to decide to pursue her MFA, and how a late-life diagnosis informs her writing.

Find Jasminne on Instagram @jasminne.notes, and at her website

Find her book and all my guests' books at our Bookshop Shop The Writers Circle

Thanks to Dave Connis for the theme music!

Learn more about me, my books, and my other projects at:

www.sarazarr.com

Sorry about the unplanned hiatus! In this episode I talk about my break from online as my default environment, what that has to do with Our Times, and I guess I'm still learning how to pronounce "authoritarianism."

The Writers Circle

Celery

Thanks to Dave Connis for the theme music!

Learn more about me, my books, and my other projects at:

www.sarazarr.com

From childhood journals to Pitch Wars to the Morris Award Honor to the National Book Award Longlist, Hannah V. Sawyerr has been on a journey! I so enjoyed this conversation and I know you will, too. Truth Is comes out September 23rd everywhere books are sold.

Truth Is at Bookshop

Hannah's website & social links

Thanks to Dave Connis for the theme music!

Learn more about me, my books, and my other projects at:

www.sarazarr.com

Expanding on the first episode of this season, we ask what does "reality-based" mean when it comes to goals?

The Writers Circle

Thanks to Dave Connis for the theme music!

Learn more about me, my books, and my other projects at:

www.sarazarr.com

Finally, another interview episode! This conversation with Thomas Torrey is exactly what I've been craving, and maybe you have, too. We talk about artistic despair and the freeing realization that we're not special. Also the ways in which his film, Long December, could be thought of as This Creative Life: the Movie.

Bad Theology Pictures

Long December

The Writers Circle

Thanks to Dave Connis for the theme music!

Learn more about me, my books, and my other projects at:

www.sarazarr.com

The Writers Circle is a community for support, connection, and education for writers at all levels, across genres and categories.

Check it out:

The Writers Circle

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Thanks to Dave Connis for the theme music!

Learn more about me, my books, and my other projects at:

www.sarazarr.com

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Thanks to Dave Connis for the theme music!

Learn more about me, my books, and my other projects at:

www.sarazarr.com